by Areen Omary  and Tameka Chambers

Received: 17 August 2021;  Published: 22 December 2021;  doi: 10.21926/obm.geriatr.2104185

The current study aimed to examine if sex can significantly predict risk for lifetime major depressive episodes among adults aged 65 and older with and without adjustment for covariate variables of race, education, marital status, health, and poverty. Secondary data was obtained from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health public-use data file to achieve study goals. The study participants were males and females aged 65 years or older. The unweighted sample included 3,969 adults aged 65 years or older, represent [...]

by Tran X Phuoc  and Mehrdad Massoudi

Received: 28 October 2021;  Published: 22 December 2021;  doi: 10.21926/jept.2104050

To store CO2 in geological reservoirs, expansion valves have been used to intentionally release supercritical CO2 from high-pressure containers at a source point to lower-pressure pipelines and transport to a selected injection site. Using expansion valves, however, has some shortcomings: (i) the fluid potential, in the form of kinetic energy and pressure which can produce mechanical work or electricity, is wasted, and (ii) due to the Joule-Thomson cooling effect, the reduction in the temperature of the released CO [...]

by Maria Pergola  , Assunta Maria Palese  , Alessandro Persiani  , Pasquale DE Francesco  , Chiara Cirillo  , Gianpaolo Maria Giacca  , Angela Maffia  and Giuseppe Celano

Received: 08 July 2021;  Published: 21 December 2021;  doi: 10.21926/aeer.2104036

The COVID-19 pandemic has drastically changed the lives of people, as well as the production and economic systems throughout the world. The flow of raw materials and products, the supply of labor and manpower, and the purchasing power have all been changed to the detriment of individual health and well-being. Such a situation requires placing even more emphasis on the search for virtuous agricultural systems compatible with the goals of economic and environmental development so clearly defined at the world level in [...]

by Clare Northover  , Jack Deacon  , John King  and Chris Irons

Received: 21 September 2021;  Published: 21 December 2021;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2104056

The aim of the study was to assess the efficacy and feasibility of a newly designed online self-compassion training programme for the general public. Two hundred and forty-nine participants were randomly assigned to have either immediate or delayed access to a four-week online self-compassion training programme. This programme was based on Compassionate Mind Training and was made up of psychoeducational sessions and in-between session practices and readings. Out of the 179 participants who completed the pre-interve [...]

by Kamalakanta Sahoo  , Richard Bergman  and Poonam Khatri

Received: 24 August 2021;  Published: 21 December 2021;  doi: 10.21926/rpm.2104049

According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the construction and operation of buildings accounted for nearly 38% of total global energy-related CO2 emissions in 2019. The construction sector has been striving to use more low-carbon footprint building products to mitigate climate change and enhance environmentally preferable purchasing. Over the last several decades, there has been substantial growth in engineered wood products for the construction industry. To assess these products used in constru [...]

by Yulia Salamatova  and Andreja Packard

Received: 24 June 2021;  Published: 20 December 2021;  doi: 10.21926/obm.neurobiol.2104111

Circadian rhythms are 24-hour cycles of physical, mental, and behavioral changes regulated and maintained by the internal primary circadian clock, however modifiable by a number of external cues or “zeitgebers”, the most powerful one being light. Core set of clock genes regulate the whole-body metabolism and transcription of over 40% of mammalian RNA, including that for drug transporters, binding and metabolizing proteins responsible for regulation of pharmacokinetics of vast array of medications. Growing amount of [...]

by Madalina Neacsu  , Susan E. Anderson  , Pola Verschoor  , Nicholas J. Vaughan  , Graham W. Horgan  , Toine Hulshof  , Sylvia H. Duncan  , Susan Duthie  and Wendy R. Russell

Received: 08 October 2021;  Published: 17 December 2021;  doi: 10.21926/rpn.2104002

Wheat bran cereals are an important source of dietary fibre. The aim of the study was to investigate if a high intake (120 g) of fibre rich breakfast cereal (which delivers the UK Government guidelines for fibre intake in one serving but is three-fold higher than the manufacturers recommended serving) has additional potential health benefits compared to the recommended serving (40 g, containing 11 g of dietary fibre). To assess this, the study determined the short chain fatty acid (SCFA) profiles in human faecal, u [...]

by Megan Sweeney  and Harold Kraft

Received: 29 September 2021;  Published: 17 December 2021;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2104055

Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) is a highly debilitating chronic pain condition characterized by continuous regional pain disproportionate to duration and intensity of the initial damaging stimulus. In CRPS, abnormal perception, transmission, and modulation of pain by nerve cells and the autonomic nervous system induces extreme increases in perceived pain that may be accompanied by swelling, temperature sensitivity, color fluctuations, and/or skin changes. CRPS most commonly affects the extremities but may sp [...]

by Abdol Aziz Shahraki

Received: 18 September 2021;  Published: 17 December 2021;  doi: 10.21926/aeer.2104035

This research suggests optimal planning and designing techniques for tourism complexes in urban master planning. Firstly, it explains the importance of the tourism industry through the theories of scholars and experts. It also emphasizes the connection between the development of urban economies and the tourism industry. This helps integrate the tourism industry and comprehensive regional/urban planning. It starts with planning and designing the tourism complexes in the early stages of the municipality’s master plan [...]

by Remedios Martinez-Guijarro  , Maria Pachés  , Inmaculada Romero  and Daniel Aguado

Received: 08 October 2021;  Published: 15 December 2021;  doi: 10.21926/aeer.2104033

Heavy metal(loid)s are a group of elements present commonly in the environment, including Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, Hg, Pb, and As elements, among others. While these elements could have their origins in natural sources, anthropogenic activities, such as mining, agriculture, industry, etc., are also responsible for enhancing the concentration of these elements in the ecosystems up to undesirable levels. A few of these metal(loid)s serve as necessary micronutrients for life, while the others are extremely harmful and migh [...]

by Pooam Khatri  , Kamalakanta Sahoo  , Richard Bergman  and Maureen Puettmann

Received: 18 June 2021;  Published: 15 December 2021;  doi: 10.21926/rpm.2104048

Raw materials for buildings and construction account for more than 35% of global primary energy use and nearly 40% of energy-related CO2 emissions. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) emphasized the drastic reduction in GHG emissions and thus, wood products with very low or negative carbon footprint materials can play an important role. In this study, a cradle-to-grave life cycle assessment (LCA) approach was followed to quantify the environmental impacts of laminated strand lumber (LSL). The inven [...]

by Glenn Baxter

Received: 22 October 2021;  Published: 15 December 2021;  doi: 10.21926/aeer.2104034

The present study used a detailed qualitative longitudinal research approach to examine the trends of water consumption, wastewater volumes, and drainage water volumes in Oslo Airport Gardermoen, which is Norway’s major hub airport, between the years 2005 and 2020. An overall upward trend was observed in the water consumption at Oslo Airport Gardermoen, which was consistent with the growth in air traffic and aircraft movements during the study period. The annual water consumption per enplaned passenger was observed [...]

by Abdul G. Khan

Received: 22 July 2021;  Published: 14 December 2021;  doi: 10.21926/jept.2104049

There is growing concern for the contamination of our soils and waters worldwide with heavy metals (HMs), as a result of indiscriminate use of agrochemicals for feeding growing population which require optimal use of resources and sustainable agricultural strategies. This can be simultaneously achieved by using microbes as bio-fertilizers, bio-protectants, and bio-stimulants, and suitable phytoremediation- plant capable of removing heavy metals contaminants from contaminated sites. There is a growing need to adopt [...]

by Julian Gross  , Karin Matko  , Jill Vennemann  and Holger Carl Bringmann

Received: 31 July 2021;  Published: 14 December 2021;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2104054

Meditation-Based Lifestyle Modification (MBLM) is a complex eight-week mind-body intervention based on the traditional eight-fold path of classical yoga. MBLM was developed for mental health care, and it combines ethical living, physical yoga, and meditation. In this qualitative study, the subjectively perceived efficacy of MBLM was compared to the perceived efficacy of an individually tailored, multi-professional psychiatric treatment (MPT) in a psychiatric outpatient clinic. Twelve patients were interviewed for t [...]

by Karen E. Burke  , Xueyan Zhou  , Yongyin Wang  and Huachen Wei

Received: 29 July 2021;  Published: 13 December 2021;  doi: 10.21926/obm.geriatr.2104184

The supplement telomerase activator TA-65 (purified from Astragalus membranaceus) has been shown to retard cellular senescence, boost the aging immune system, and retard age-related symptoms. Lengthened telomeres retard aging, but because cancers often maintain longevity by lengthening telomeres, dietary telomerase activator might possibly increase tumorigenesis. This study investigated whether oral TA-65 effects the timing of onset and/or the incidence of skin cancers induced by UVB-irradiation and whether that po [...]

by Abdullah Abbas Kendoush

Received: 04 October 2021;  Published: 07 December 2021;  doi: 10.21926/jept.2104048

By the adoption of a drag-buoyancy equality model, analytical solutions were obtained for the drag coefficients (CD) of Taylor bubbles rising steadily in pipes. The obtained solutions were functions of the geometry of the Taylor bubble and the gas volume fraction. The solutions were applicable at a wide range of Capillary numbers. The solution was validated by comparison with experimental data of other investigators. All derived drag formulas were subject to the condition that Bond number >4, for air-water syste [...]

by Panagiotis Kyriakopoulos  , Athanassios Giannopoulos  , Yannis G. Caouris  , Manolis Souliotis  and Mattheos Santamouris

Received: 04 September 2021;  Published: 06 December 2021;  doi: 10.21926/aeer.2104032

The hourly ambient air temperature information was analyzed for two Greek coastal Mediterranean cities: Patras (for the entire 2018 year) with ten urban and one rural stations, and Kalamata (for the entire 2019 and 2020 years) with eight urban and two rural stations. The heating and cooling Degree Hours (DH) and Degree Days (DD) were calculated, for base temperatures of 18 °C and 26 °C, respectively. The urban heating degree hours for the cities of Patras and Kalamata were observed to be 19.2% and 24%, respectively [...]

by Emily Beitzell  , Purnaja Podduturi  , Megan Hook  , Amelia Jones  , Haley McKeen  and Miriam Liss

Received: 03 October 2021;  Published: 01 December 2021;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2104053

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has produced a global mental health crisis and many individuals have obsessive thoughts and worry about COVID-19 which may, both directly and indirectly, relate to more general anxiety. This study explored anxiety sensitivity and mindful awareness as mediators in the relationship between COVID-19 obsession and general anxiety. College student participants (N = 172) completed the Obsession with COVID-19 scale, the Anxiety Sensitivity Index, the awareness subscale of the Five Facto [...]

by Ludmila Velichkina  , Yakov Barbashin  and Alexander Vosmerikov

Received: 10 October 2021;  Published: 01 December 2021;  doi: 10.21926/cr.2104004

The objective of this research was to analyze the effect of different concentrations of nitric and hydrochloric acids on the structural, acidic, and catalytic properties of a post-synthetic treated ZSM-5 type zeolite at various temperatures. The properties of zeolite catalysts were determined using different methods, such as the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) method for specific surface area, temperature-programmed desorption (TPD) of ammonia method for acidic properties, and a flow-through unit with fixed bed cataly [...]

by June An  and Young Nam Chun

Received: 30 October 2021;  Published: 01 December 2021;  doi: 10.21926/aeer.2104031

Renewable energies such as solar or wind energy are highly unreliable, owing to uncertain energy intensity and discontinuity. This shortcoming could be overcome by converting renewable energies to a form such as chemical fuel storage. In the present study, we created an energy conversion system that uses microwave heating and a carbon receptor to transform CO2, a greenhouse gas, into CO chemical fuel. The parametric investigation found that increasing the gasification temperature and feed gas temperature decreased [...]

by Omar Alelweet  , Sara Pavia  and Zehao Lei

Received: 28 September 2021;  Published: 29 November 2021;  doi: 10.21926/rpm.2104047

This paper investigates the composition, properties and reactivity of a red mud waste generated in Saudi Arabia with a view to find alternative materials to replace construction binders of high environmental impact. The phase transformation triggered by the sintering of the RM up to 1000°C is determined with thermal and X-Ray Diffraction analyses. Reactivity is investigated with chemical and physical methods including the Chapelle test, setting times, mechanical index and microscopy. The RM is clearly pozzol [...]

by Carol Tran  and Laurence J. Walsh

Received: 28 September 2021;  Published: 26 November 2021;  doi: 10.21926/rpm.2104046

Subsurface remineralization can be promoted by the topical application of nanoparticles of casein phosphopeptide-amorphous calcium phosphate (CPP-ACP). To assess changes in enamel white spot lesions, an in situ proof-of-concept investigation was performed using 5 subjects (all of whom were healthy young adults) with a cross-over study design. Custom orthodontic brackets were attached to the buccal surfaces of the maxillary second premolar and first molar teeth. Each bracket had a recess that held a slab of enamel w [...]

by Karolina Bryl  and Jacelyn Biondo

Received: 25 August 2021;  Published: 26 November 2021;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2104052

Dance/movement therapy (DMT) is a strengths-based approach to psychotherapy that uses dance and movement as the primary form of communication, while emphasizing the movement relationship in addition to verbal dialogue. Positive and negative symptomatology of a diagnosis on the schizophrenia spectrum often disrupt organized thinking, orientation to reality, overall functioning, communication, and healthy relationships. Therefore, a body-based psychotherapeutic approach can be a pragmatic way to support, join, and pr [...]

by Cathryn Duchette  , Danilo V Tolusso  , Whitley J Stone  , Maire M Blankenship  and Rachel A Tinius

Received: 23 June 2021;  Published: 25 November 2021;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2104051

Studies have demonstrated that new and expectant mothers experience increased levels of stress and anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic. Though prenatal yoga is an effective mode of improving mental health during pregnancy, no research has evaluated its effect on mental health during times of extreme stress, such as a global pandemic. The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of a single session and a 10-week prenatal yoga intervention on the mental health of pregnant women during the COVID-19 pandem [...]

by Thomas Frei

Received: 12 October 2021;  Published: 24 November 2021;  doi: 10.21926/aeer.2104030

Climate change has a major impact on nature and influences ecological systems. The increase in the CO2-concentration in the atmosphere is a major driver of global warming. This study showed that global warming has a major impact on the release of pollen, and hence, on the people suffering from allergies in Switzerland. Basel is a station where long-term pollen observation is conducted, and the data was used to investigate the change during the last 52 years. There are stations throughout the world to measure the at [...]